


I Need You like Cake On My Birthday

by dreamboi_jazz



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Beca Mitchell/Stacie Conrad Friendship, Birthday, Birthday Presents, F/F, Fat Amy (mentioned) - Freeform, Fluff, bechloe - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-17 06:51:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20616800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamboi_jazz/pseuds/dreamboi_jazz
Summary: Chloe's birthday is in a few days and Beca still hasn't found anything remotely acceptable. Or rather, she's found acceptable, but she's going for perfect.





	I Need You like Cake On My Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd all mistakes are my own. May turn this into a multi-chap depending on what yall think. Title from All time Low's song Birthday. Send me prompts find me on tumblr https://shinythingsorpaperrings.tumblr.com/

Sometimes Beca hates just how last minute she can be with things, especially important things. This is one of those times, she berates herself under her breath while striding through the mall in her latest search for Chloe's birthday present. The other girls had tried to subtly (and not so subtly) hint at what they'd each got for the ginger, as if that was going to help spark any ideas for her. In reality all it did was add pressure to find the most "aca-amazing best gift ever ™️ " and her options were running low. What didn't help the situation either is that she's crushing heavily on (read: in love with) Chloe, and their back and forth flirty banter has been giving her hope for the last couple of years that maybe, just maybe, the ginger reciprocates.

Beca takes a seat at the nearest bench she can find, scooting to the end to keep out of the way. With a heavy sigh she scans her surroundings as if the shops would have magically changed their window displays in the last hour she's spent speeding around. The tannoy system echoing the imminent closing time of the mall elicits a defeated groan from the brunette. Beca pushes herself off the bench, pulling her phone out to see if the girls want to order pizza or Chinese for dinner - or rather, as the bubbly voice in her head reminds her, "Friendship Friday, Becs! We need to bond!" - as she makes her way to her car. It doesn't take long for the votes to come in and she's driving to their favourite pizza joint.

A bell above the door signals her arrival and a stocky blonde looks up from behind the counter, grinning.

"Well if isn't my favourite Bella! What brings you into my fine establishment this evening?"

"I'm the  only Bella that comes in here Pete," Beca deadpans. "It's a Friday so I'll have the usual stack that you always worry about me carrying."

He chuckles back in response and turns to get her order sorted while Beca leans against the wall thumbing through some of the texts she's missed from the drive.

[Stacie]: Find anything for your girlfriend yet?

[Beca]: She's not my gf

[Beca]: and no I haven't 

[Stacie]: LOL okay. Have you asked Aubrey yet?

[Beca]: I am NOT texting Posen for help don't even joke about that

[Stacie]: Wasn't kidding.

[Stacie]: Anyway, hurry up with the pizza, Amy's complaining. Loudly.

[Beca]: Ughhh fuck off

"I've got a large order here for a uhhh... Rebecca? Is there a Rebecca here?" Pete calls out over the counter, barely holding in his laughter.

"You're actually the worst. There's literally no one here but us, dude," Beca throws back, smiling nonetheless.

"Am I really though? I mean I did just throw in some vouchers onto that stack." He pauses and Beca can feel the height joke coming. "...For the short stack!"

"Goodbye! I can't hear you! I'm leaving!" She walks away with several pizzas in her arms to his hearty guffaws.

It's as she's getting out of the car near the Bella's house, shoving the vouchers in her pocket and hauling tonight's dinner that Beca realises exactly what to get the redhead. She'd been made to sit through enough romcoms during these Friendship Friday nights that she knew wholeheartedly that the idea slowly forming in her head was definitely going to live up to be the most aca-amazing best gift ever ™️ .

\-----

When Chloe's birthday comes round, everyone's enjoying the day celebrating with laser tag. No one is particularly surprised that Aubrey and Beca are on opposing teams, or that Chloe opts to be on the blonde's team (they've all seen her at the retreat, she knows how to aim). Beca is more than capable of holding her own - the girls suspect it's all her anger bottled up in such a small body, though they'd never say that out loud - so it takes them by surprise to find out she's one of the first ones out. Well, all but Stacie who witnessed the entire encounter. Some would say Chloe played dirty but really it's just Beca's inability to process her own feelings especially where pretty girls are concerned (like the disaster that was DSM).

They return to the house as energetic as when they left, knowing that it was time for cake and a drunken rendition of the birthday song. The Bellas are crowded in the living room listening to Flo recount a disturbing homeland tale vaguely related to laser tag when Aubrey and Beca poorly excuse themselves to the kitchen.

The two of them quietly bicker over number of candles, fire safety, and even the key to sing in, but when they emerge with a brightly lit cake and sparklers in hand, any sign of arguing is invisible. Amy stands to turn off the lights before dragging Chloe off the couch into the centre of the room. Beca grimaces to Chloe with an apologetic look on her face as Aubrey pulls out a pitch pipe from her pocket, counting them all in. She's grateful that this is the sort of cheesy stuff that the redhead likes, because if the roles were reversed, Beca knows she would have curled up into the void by now.

As soon as the candles are out and the lights are back on, everyone scrambles to get their gifts from their various hiding places to pile in front of the birthday girl. With each present that Chloe opens, Beca loses confidence in her own, seeing that everyone else's are flashier than what she's got. It doesn't help her nerves to know that she didn't get any feedback from anyone, not even last minute from Aubrey, so it's with bated breath that she watches the redhead. Chloe works her way through, thanking each person that she opens her gifts from, promising a group hug at the end. She's down to two - Beca's and Aubrey's- and Beca can practically see the gears turning in Chloe's head over the order to open them. For Chloe's sake, Beca hopes her she picks hers first, that way the night can end on the high that the blonde's meticulously wrapped item will inevitably bring.

By some miracle Chloe does exactly that and she quirks a brow in the brunette's direction, presumably over the glittery unicorn-patterned paper. The gift opens to reveal two smaller wrapped parcels and Beca wonders why she did that. Probably to prolong her own personal torture. Draw out the fact that she's a terrible best friend and doesn't know anything about her own friends and she's equally a terrible co-captain and- An excited squeal snaps Beca out of her spiral, giving her a matter of seconds to brace herself for Chloe falling onto her.

"Are we finally going to see some action?" CR quips, high-fiving Stacie in the process.

"Aw yeah Bhloe's official!" Amy adds in.

"Pfft no it's not, fuck off," Beca says, gently pushing the redhead off her. "Chlo, I could've died!" She swears she saw a flash of hurt across her best friend's face but it disappears just as quickly as Chloe waves around a slip of paper.

"Don't be overdramatic Becs, besides, I'm just cashing in the voucher you so kindly wrapped that mixtape in."

"Ooh vouchers?"

"I have some to a park inside a human body."

"Yo I want to see!"

"Are they sexy?"

"You wish."

"Not bad, Mitchell."

The energy of the room persists even after Aubrey's present is opened, and true to her word, Chloe grabs everyone for a group hug. Or a crush of people. Or a claustrophobe's nightmare. Or too many people in her personal space. Or any other number of words to describe Beca's discomfort. Still, it could be worse, she could be in the very centre, and at least Chloe had the decency to ensure she wouldn't be. She does note, however, that the redhead is maintaining contact with her hand stretched out to just about touch her arm. It's after a few more drinks and several minutes arguing over which movie to watch (Beca is grateful they don't ask for her opinion) that everyone finally settles into a comfortable calm. Chloe still hasn't left her side, which isn't unusual, except for the fact that she has had her arm around her or some form of physical contact the entire time.

Even now, as they're seated in their "usual" positions - she likes being close to the doorway so she can quickly escape whatever antics Amy, Stacie, or CR try to bring up - Chloe is cuddled up into her side. Beca tentatively moves her hand across her body, gently brushing her fingers against the redhead's who, equally as cautiously laces their fingers together.

"I don't bite Becs," Chloe whispers to her. "Unless you want me to," she adds with a wink, and Beca can feel the heat rushing to her face. She's grateful for the lack of lighting helping to hide her blush. She tries to pull her hand away but is stopped by Chloe's grip tightening, keeping their hands pinned down.

"So what else do I have available to use?"

"No spoilers, Chlo." She feels more than hears Chloe's heavy sigh and childish disappointment, shaking her head with a roll of her eyes.

"I wouldn't mind if there was a sexy one y'know."

Beca can't quite tell if she heard correctly, the movie reaching a climactic moment and is therefore, annoyingly, loud. Movies are so dumb. What she is sure of is that her face is redder than her best friend's hair. She shakily lets out an "oh yeah, well maybe there is one," unsure of where the confidence to make the comeback appeared from. If Chloe had any reaction towards what she had just said, she gave no indication of it. Instead, the redhead hums contentedly and presses further into her. It leaves Beca just as confused and hopeful as ever, but at least she's done something to potentially set a relationship in motion.


End file.
